A lakefront oasis for Minnesotan elites
After former NBA star Kevin Garnett signed a $125 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1998, he purchased a 10,000-square-foot home in Orono. In doing so, he joined a legacy of Minnesotan elites who become Orono homeowners — from governors and Pillsburys to billionaire CEOs of megacorporations like Target and UnitedHealth Group. Orono’s abundant land and 40 miles of Lake Minnetonka shoreline explain the appeal of buying property here, but the financial benefits seal the deal for the ultra-wealthy. “We have one of the lowest tax rates in Hennepin County,” says former Orono Mayor Dennis Walsh, who served from January 2017 through December 2024. “If you have a $2 million house in some of the other Lake Minnetonka communities, you’ll be paying between 20 and 100% more in taxes.” Only 18 miles west of Minneapolis, Orono makes sense for those looking for an expansive estate within reach of the Twin Cities.
Located along Lake Minnetonka
Orono’s location along Lake Minnetonka drives demand for its real estate: “About 40% of the shoreline is in Orono, which gives residents year-round amenities,” Walsh says. Most spend their summers boating and swimming, and those without private docks keep their boats at one of Orono’s many marinas. On top of this, “Our parks department has a healthy budget; we might be over-parked,” Walsh says. “We’ve got parks with playsets, walking parks that are all nature, and we have a lot of extra open space that we take care of very well.” One of its most popular is the Noerenberg Memorial Gardens, a scenic green space along the lake often used for weddings and other events. Nature preserves on Orono’s north end like the Wolsfeld Woods and Wood-Rill Scientific and Natural Areas are popular for hiking, and Baker Park Reserve has campgrounds and a swimming beach. Area golfers often join the Lafayette Club or Woodhill Country Club, or they can use the public Orono Orchards Golf Course.
Waterfront homes and multiacre estates
Though prices for single-family homes in Orono start in the upper $200,000s, most home values exceed $850,000 and go well into the millions. “We have so much lakeshore that the average price is very high,” Walsh says. “We are blessed to have one of the most beautiful lakeshores in the country, and it’s next to a huge metropolitan area.” Proximity to the lake, acreage and square footage determine home values in Orono. Waterfront properties generally have amenities like boat docks, whereas inland properties often sit on multiple acres. In recent years, many older properties have been replaced with new builds. “You’ve got people tearing down $1 million houses to make room for $3 million houses,” Walsh says. This trend has increased sales prices, with the average home sales price in the 12 months leading up to May 2024 up six percent from the 12 months prior.
Learning with Orono Community Education and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts
Orono Community Education has learning opportunities for all members of the family. Parents can sign their preschoolers up for early learning classes and toddler sports leagues and their school-age kids for field trips and summer camps. Teens take driver’s ed and college prep courses while adults play pickleball, join book clubs and take art classes. They can also sign up for ESL classes and skills courses for those preparing for GEDs or the citizenship test. At the Minnetonka Center for the Arts, visitors can explore rotating exhibits and sign up for classes to learn skills like pottery and painting.
Dining on the dock and live country and blues
“This is a more rural community, and we want to keep it that way, with a little more open space and a little more elbow room,” Walsh says. “We’re probably 97% residential, so if you need a place to seat 100, you’re going to have to drive a little. But our goal for the city is to have all the amenities you want in town, so you don’t have to go anywhere.” Orono does have a few restaurants: favorites include Lord Fletcher’s Old Lake Lodge, where patrons can arrive on their boats and dock right outside the restaurant, and The Narrows Saloon, a classic neighborhood bar with live country and blues on weekends. For groceries, most shop at Lunds & Byerlys or Orono Market.
An A-plus for the Orono Public School District
Students in Orono attend the Orono Public School District, which has an overall rating of A-plus and ranks as Minnesota’s fifth-best school district on Niche. “The school district brings people here, keeps people here, and then people bring their kids back to raise them in the community,” Walsh says. Students attend kindergarten through second grade at the A-minus-rated Schumann Elementary School before continuing to the A-rated Orono Intermediate School for third through fifth grade and Orono Middle School for sixth through eighth. Then, they graduate from the A-plus-rated Orono High School. Here, students can explore rigorous academic opportunities like AP courses, Project Lead The Way pre-engineering classes and dual enrollment through College in the Schools.
Thirty minutes west of Minneapolis
Orono is 18 miles west of Minneapolis, and it takes about 30 minutes to get there. This is a completely car-dependent community, meaning it is not walkable and has no public transportation. The closest hospital is Abbott Northwestern in Plymouth, 11 miles away. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is 28 miles away.
Photography Contributed By
Tyler McNair
